Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema nodded a flashy thumbs down to her late predecessor Senator John McCain on Friday.
Video taped in the Senate Chamber, the newly elected Sinema was seen taking the step to reject a proposal by Senator Bernie Sanders to raise a $ 15 minimum wage in the $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. the Senate.
Sinema was joined by seven other Democrats in the Senate and all Republicans.
McCain famously voted against a Senate plan to repeal Obamacare in 2018 with a thumbs down that ultimately sank the effort.
While she supports wage increases, Sinema said she would support the Senate MP’s ruling that the minimum wage could not be included as part of the reconciliation process, a senate protocol, which opposes the coronavirus aid law by 51 votes. to the usual 60 it takes to lift a filibuster.
“Senators from both parties have expressed support for raising the federal minimum wage and the Senate should hold an open debate and amendment process on raising the minimum wage, separate from the COVID-focused reconciliation law,” Sinema said in a statement explaining her vote.
The sentiment did not sit well with many in her own party, especially Progressives who were outraged. Sanders took the floor on Saturday to urge his colleagues to ignore the MP’s ruling and to dismiss him as an unelected Senate employee.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was even more blunt.
“Imagine the ganas going home and asking the minimum wage workers to support you after taking your own documented stand to help reduce their greatest chance of a pay rise during their longest drought of wage increases since the inception of the law . Sin vergüenza, ”she said in a tweet.